austraLasia #2392

Cagliero project's brave new plank

MELBOURNE: 4th April 2009 -- In universally loved tales like Treasure Island, brave men 'walked the plank', blindfolded, usually at the point of a blunderbuss!  But on 3rd April, 11 young people set out from Melbourne as part of the Cagliero Project. There was  no blunderbuss, no blindfold, no plank, and half the group are women. And even more than being a voluntary expedition it is billed as a 'missionary journey'. 'Cagliero' does not speak of volunteers, but of mission-minded young Catholics. But this particular journey is a new plank in the Cagliero platform nonetheless, and, in an interesting twist, almost certainly the group will visit the tomb of the famous author of Treasure Island, R. L Stevenson, aka 'Tusitala' (Story teller) in Samoan. The site overlooks the Don Bosco Technical Centre and nearby St John Bosco parish.
    The purpose of the journey is two-fold. The young people will have an opportunity to immerse themselves in Samoan culture while offering some of their skills to the local community in the parish of St Michael the Archangel's Parish, Leauva'a, the second of three Salesian parishes in the Samoan islands, lying between the capital Apia and the airport. The group involved in the journey are active leaders at Don Bosco Camp, Dromana, and for this reason will be hosting a leadership camp at St Michael's during their stay. The camp promises to offer a great time but a most useful time too for present and future young Samoan leaders. 
    As part of their preparation for the mission journey, group members have met with Catholic lay missioners who have worked in Samoa, met frequently amongst themselves with guidance from Cagliero leaders, and spent a full day's Retreat reflecting on what mission means to them. Samoan Salesians currently in Australia have also met with the group. A fund-raising exercise prior to departure raised monies for the parish and people of the parish at Leauva'a.
    One clear intention of this Cagliero initiative is to ensure that its other plank - to encourage young Australian, faith-filled lay missioners to be missioned to various places around Asia and the Pacific - will be willingly 'walked' in the future.
 
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Title: australasia 2392
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces AUL Cagliero Project Samoa
Date (year): 2009